您多大年纪？
nín duōdà niánji?
How old are you (polite) · trad. 您多大年紀？
您多大年纪？ (nín duō dà niánjì) is a polite way to ask an adult's age in Mandarin Chinese. Speakers use it when addressing someone respectfully, such as an elder, a stranger, or someone in a formal setting.
What does 您多大年纪？ (nín duōdà niánji?) mean?
您多大年纪？ (nín duōdà niánji?) means “how old are you (polite)” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “You how big age?”
When to use it
Polite and formal. Use it when addressing adults, especially those older than you or in formal situations. For peers or younger adults, 你多大？ (nǐ duō dà) is more common. For children, use 你几岁？ (nǐ jǐ suì).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “neen DWOH DAH NYEN-jee.” The tones are rising, level, falling, rising, falling.
Other ways to say it
- 你多大？nǐ duōdà?how old are you? (less formal)
- 你几岁？nǐ jǐsuì?how old are you? (for children)
- 请问您贵庚？qǐngwèn nín guìgēng?may I ask your honorable age? (very formal/literary)
Examples
请问，您多大年纪？
qǐngwèn, nín duōdà niánji?
Excuse me, how old are you?
在中国，直接问您多大年纪有时不太礼貌。
zài Zhōngguó, zhíjiē wèn nín duōdà niánji yǒushí bùtài lǐmào.
In China, directly asking “how old are you?” is sometimes not very polite.
她看起来很年轻，我猜她不会喜欢别人问您多大年纪。
tā kànqǐlái hěn niánqīng, wǒ cāi tā búhuì xǐhuan biérén wèn nín duōdà niánji.
She looks very young, I guess she wouldn't like others to ask “how old are you?”
Pro tip: Asking an adult's age can be sensitive in Chinese culture, especially for women. It's often better to wait for the person to volunteer the information or to infer it.
Related phrases
幺 · 1 in phone numbers (yāo)你几岁？ · How old are you (to a child)我今年三十岁 · I'm thirty years old
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